Thoughts On a Forbidden Romance
by Lady Nephenee Ranulf
Summary: Kranna...everyone who played the game knows about it, but what do the characters of ToS think about this unexpected love? SPOILERS for anyone who hasn't played all the way through Disc 2.
1. Chapter 1: Kratos and Anna

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia _or any of its characters.**

Part I: The Seraph and His Wife

_Anna_

I love one man and one man only. That man isn't even truly a man- he's an angel. He is my angel. My strong, sweet, silent angel, or, as he prefers to be known as, seraph. The title goes well with his name- Kratos Aurion. Whenever I tell him so, he smiles a sort of sad smile- one that is neither happy nor sad. It is impossible to tell, just like it is impossible to read my Kratos. He hides behind a mask most of the time, a mask of silent voice, stony face, and stoic nature. But, I know the true person that lurks behind that seemingly unbreakable mask. I know of the other side of Kratos- the side that is loving, caring, at peace. He rarely shows it, but I know it exists. This is why I trusted him from the start, when I first met him.

_Kratos_

I love one woman and one woman only, and that woman loves me back. She calls me her angel. How funny…I never considered myself worthy of the title. It sounds too kind, too good. I am not good. I am not kind. I am a fallen hero. A man who was sentenced to eternal life as the price for following a madman. I am not worthy of being loved. And yet, I find myself doing the exact same thing that I told myself long ago would never happen.

I love someone. That someone is Anna. She never told me her last name. I have never asked. Some secrets were meant to be kept. She claims that I hide behind a mask. She tells me that I need to let my real self show more often. Every time she tells me that, I reply with the exact same answer- that I can not do that, that I have locked up my real self for so long that I don't even know who I really am. All I know is my mask- my icy, cool, composed mask. But, she is the only one that has seen the real me, because she is the only one that I will ever show it to. Not even Mithos, or even Yuan, has seen the real Kratos Aurion- the passionate man that only wants to love and be loved in return.

_Anna_

When I first met him, I was still AO12- human test subject for the mysterious Angelus Project. I met him there, at the human ranch I was being held at. He had arrived there on his superior's orders to oversee the completion of the Angelus Project. I still have nightmares from the ranch. And I still have a reminder from that horrible period in my life- a small, innocent- seeming gem, set into my pale hand. My Cruxis Crystal. Or, at least, that was what it was going to become. I escaped before they could mutate it enough to do so. I escaped…in the arms of my seraphim. I remember that night. I remember staring in awe at those brilliant azure wings, so transparent that they seemed to be made of light. I remember as he took off with me in his arms. His expression was unreadable, but I knew that he cared for me, that he loved me. Otherwise, he would have never dared to overrule his superior's orders and take me away. Take me away on angel's wings. I call it my escape to heaven. He calls it a risk that he should have never have taken. I always laugh when he says that, because I know he does not speak the truth. His eyes give him away every time. I love the way that they are reflected on my Cruxis Crystal- brilliant and blue, just like his wings.

However, he knew that he was truly taking a terrible risk. We had to live on the run, never staying in one place for long. He had to disguise himself, had to make sure that his superior, "Yggdrasil", he said, did not find him. To most it would have been a life that no one would have wanted. I disagreed. I had Kratos, and my angel was all I needed to complete my life.

_Kratos_

I have never been a man to take risks. I am a man who rationalizes too much, too often. I let logic overrule my heart's desires. However, for just one decision, I let my heart lead. When Mithos ordered me to oversee Kvar's Angelus Project, I did not know what to expect there. I expected the test subject to be a defiant young, strong man- one who could withstand the excruciating pain of the experiments, and with enough spirit to not be broken. I found otherwise. I found a young woman instead. She had just as much spunk if not more than I expected, however. I felt a bond with her at first sight. I felt for her. I realized that this woman should not be allowed to wither away as they drained her body and mind for the Cruxis Crystal. My mind screamed no. My mind told me that I was developing feelings that I did not need. Feelings that would only lead to pain and suffering. But, I let my heart rule. And my heart told me to rescue AO12 and take her away. And that was what I did. I will never forget her amazed gaze as I entered her cell. I will never forget her open- mouth shock when she glimpsed my wings for the first time. That night…was glorious- at least, for a moment. My brain did not register the fact that I had just done what I had done until the next morning- when I opened my eyes from my resting trance to find AO12- Anna- sleeping peacefully next to me.

Life changed for me in an instant. Many, including Yuan, would say that this life was not one that a seraph of Cruxis should be living. But I loved every minute of it. For once, I felt free. For once, I was given my old life back- the one that had ended 4,000 years ago. I had Anna. Anna had me. That was all we needed. That was all we cared about.

_End Part I_

A/N: I am really into romance right now- how very unusual. With this fic, I'm trying to veer away from light romance and try a little more angsty romance…although I don't know if this counts as angst…maybe I'll have some later from Kratos. Oh well. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2: Yuan

Note: hints of Yuartel in this chapter- hey! This is Yuan that I'm writing through…I can't help it.

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Tales of Symphonia._**

_Part II: Yuan_

I know all about tragic love. I had one. However, I didn't know that my best friend, the man who had helped me get through 4,000 years of Mithos' spiral into insanity, would have one either. I remember him coming over to my office in Triet, white as a sheet.

"_Help me…" _

That's what he said. So, I sat him down, gave him a cup of tea, and then stared in amazement as Kratos Aurion spilled his guts in front of me. He told me everything- about how he had been sent to oversee the Angelus Project, about how he had met this strange woman- Anna, who was in fact the tester for the Angelus Project, and most importantly, how he had fallen in love with her. He was frantic with worry. He was practically falling to pieces over this woman that he had only met about a month ago. That's when I knew that he was dead serious about the whole love thing- when he started worrying over everything. Come to think of it, why had I ever doubted him in the first place? Kratos had always been so serious- he had rarely ever been the kind of man to joke around. I stared at him some more as he started spilling even more. He was afraid…afraid for Anna, afraid for how Mithos would react to him falling in love, afraid of my reaction, afraid of what was going to happen…I didn't know the guy even HAD that much emotion in him. I tried my best to reassure him. I told him that I would handle Mithos, that I would always support him. He gave a weak smile. We sat there for a while, the silence between us thickening, when he abruptly stood up.

"_I'm sorry Yuan, old friend. I need to go. I need to return and check on Anna." _I nodded numbly. After all, what was a half-elf to do when his best friend decides to use them as a stress outlet? He left shortly after. I watched him go, his cerulean wings glittering on the horizon. I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be seeing him for quite a while…

And I didn't. Oh, I kept my promise to him. I intercepted Mithos when he tried to send an entire of army of angels after his missing seraph. I had told him that an entire army was too conspicuous. Kratos would have sensed them in an instant, and Mithos would never catch the eloped couple. He pouted, and then retreated to his chambers to think of some new twisted plan to catch Anna and Kratos. I stopped that one too. And the next one. And even the next one. I think Mithos caught on to what I was doing by the fifth plan. I remember waking up one morning to find his leering pale face staring into my eyes.

"_Yuan, oh, Yuan. Old friend- you think that by trying to stop me you will assure Kratos's freedom? What did he have you do- promise him to stop me? Did he come to you begging like a dog? Now, Yuan, old friend, are you going to leave me too? Are you going to leave your best friend alone all by himself? Think wisely and choose now: Kratos, the traitor, or me. But remember- if you side with Kratos, you not only betray me, you also betray Martel. Because, I know my sister would agree with me." _

I told him that I would never leave my best friend alone in the world. He left, satisfied that he had stopped me from interfering further. However, I had not told him the whole truth. Yes, I would never leave my best friend alone, but, I did not mean Mithos.

I meant Kratos. I was happy for him. I was happy that he had found a way to escape from the clutches of the cold, dark existence that I was held in. It almost felt like I was the one who had left. I continued to prevent Mithos from going after Kratos directly by himself. However, I could not stop him from ordering his subordinates from searching for my friend and his wife. Those two were forced to roam the world, constantly moving. I remember meeting them near Asgard three years later. Kratos had asked me to help them get by the Asgard ranch without attracting the attention of Kvar, the Desian Cardinal that ruled there. I remember staring at my best friend, so changed. He looked happier. Gone was the serious, deathly aura that had always hung around him. I felt a pang of jealousy. If Martel had lived, would we have looked like this? Then, I noticed the bundle in Kratos's arms. I pressed him on the matter. He told me to ignore it. But then, his wife, Anna, told me otherwise.

"_Show him, Kratos- he might as well know."_

Kratos had sighed then. He slowly revealed what lay in the blankets, soundly asleep.

A baby boy.

I remember my eyes widening. The boy looked exactly like his mother- deep brown hair, luminous brown eyes. The only Kratos I saw in him was his demeanor. Calm, collected, the young boy stared up at me with peaceful eyes. I only wish…that Kratos's eyes would have the same look as his son.

Three months later, I ran into Kratos again. This time, it was not to help him. He had finally been caught. His wife had been killed. His son had disappeared. Even Noishe, his faithful pet, had vanished. Mithos had dragged Kratos back to Derris Kharlan and then locked him up. He told me later that he wanted to prevent Kratos from leaving again. He was never going to let Kratos go out into the "outside" ever again. _"To insure his loyalty,"_ he told me. I could only look on in horror as Mithos continued to rant.

"_Yuan, trust me, Kratos will be punished. Oh yes…it will be a long time before I let him leave my sight again."_

"_I want him to suffer, like I did when he left me."_

"_I'm sure Martel would agree with me- after all, isn't betrayal the worst crime?"_

"_I would be thankful, Yuan, that I did not choose to lock you up as well, if I was you. I know that you were in league with Kratos as well. If it weren't for the fact that you were my sister's fiancé, I would have killed you in an instant…"_

I sobbed invisible tears for Kratos Aurion that day. I knew what kind of emotional pain he was going through. I had felt it too myself, 4,000 years ago. He was already suffering too much. I knew that whatever fiendish torture that Mithos had in store for him would only worsen the pain, would only destroy this happier version of Kratos. Martel…maybe, if you didn't die, your brother wouldn't be like this. I wouldn't be like this. Kratos wouldn't be like this. If you are looking down right now on us, wouldn't you agree?

_End Part II_

A/N: Well, there we have angsty Yuan discussing Kranna. PreToS, of course. Now, go and hit that review button…I know you want to…and stay tuned for Part III!


	3. Chapter 3: Mithos Yggdrasil

I just had to do Mithos…

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Tales of Symphonia_.**

_Part III: Mithos_

I don't want to be all alone. I don't want to be left all alone in the darkness. And yet, I sensed that my friends of old were drifting further and further from me. Especially Kratos. I know how loyal he once was- he's stood by me all throughout our 4,000 year exile. But then, he met that filthy human, Anna. Oh, don't get me wrong- I didn't think she was that bad at first. Anna was the test subject for the Angelus Project, a project that I allowed my flunky, Kvar, to go through with. I decided that I might as well let the eager, newly- appointed Cardinal prove himself. Time passed…Kvar sent news that the project was almost near completion. I wanted to oversee the completion myself, but Yuan stopped me.

"_Let Kratos go- he needs to get out once in 4,000 years. He hasn't been down to Sylvarant ever since the worlds were split. Let him get some fresh air. You know, stretch out a little bit."_

The way Yuan had put it, it sounded almost as if Kratos was going developmentally backwards. But of course I saw through it. My dear Yuan…you think you can try to outwit me? Don't make me laugh…You and all your schemes…I know about them all. I know what you were really trying to do. You were trying to weaken the bonds between Kratos and me, weren't you? You were trying to show him that the outside was better than my beloved Derris Kharlan. Heh…and you succeeded- although, not directly. It was all because of AO12. She entranced my Kratos. She STOLE him from me. She stole his heart, his loyalty, and made them her own. She took Kratos' faith, which was already crumbling, and rebuilt around her. She shut me off from him. He didn't care about me. I had already known that he had voiced displeasure about my "Age of Lifeless Beings." This solidified it. I was heartbroken. What was wrong with what I did? All I wanted was to save Martel and fulfill what she wanted done- to have a world free from discrimination.

So Kratos deserted me. He abandoned me just like everyone else in the world did. I couldn't believe it at first. And then Kvar told me the whole story. He told me everything- how Kratos had killed all of Anna's guards and then escaped into the night with her. How AO12 still had the Cruxis Crystal on her- Key Crest-less of course. How Kratos was now searching for a way to allow _humans_- can you believe the nerve of this? - to use the Eternal Sword. To use MY sword. I was so very angry. Of course, Kratos foresaw this. I knew he had, because he set up a countermeasure against me. He used Yuan. Yes, Yuan blocked every single one of my attempts to regain Kratos. But then, I managed to get a plan past my sister's wily fiancé. I found a way to find Kratos…

"_Mithos- if you send an army of angels after Kratos, he is going to know that you're after him."_

"_Doesn't he already know that?"_

"_Yes, but-"_

"_Yuan- I know that Kratos knows that I will go after him. If I send an army throughout, I can easily alert the Five Grand Cardinals of Kratos' betrayal. They will be on the lookout for him. He will NEVER be able to settle down as a human. NEVER. I'm sure that after being hunted for a while, he will come back and let Anna go, Yuan."_

"_I don't think so, Mithos. I've seen him with the girl. He looks like he'd do anything for her."_

"_Oh really?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Then maybe we should use HER to regain the traitor."_

"_You run the risk of damaging the Cruxis Crystal she has."_

"_I am willing to take that risk, Yuan. We must get both Kratos and the crystal back. I need both of them. I don't mind if you kill the girl."_

"_Won't that…destroy Kratos?"_

"_He'll get over it. You'll see. I'll make him get over it. Didn't you get over Martel? It's just like that. Don't worry- Kratos will be fine once he sees that human girl for who she really is."_

"_I just…don't have a good feeling about this, Mithos. I don't think Kratos will be able to handle this as well as I did."_

"_You act like Kratos needs to be babied around, Yuan. I know him. He's tough enough. I have decided. I will alert the Cardinals immediately telling them to find Kratos and the Cruxis Crystal and return both to me undamaged. That way, your precious friend will not be so…affected."_

I was sure that that had settled the matter. Yuan left that meeting with a strange look on his face. I sent word to my subordinates that Kratos Aurion and AO12 were to be found and returned to me- alive. The search took longer than I thought. Kratos proved trickier to catch than I expected him to be. Of course, I suspect Yuan was helping them through the whole thing. I knew he couldn't refuse Kratos- after all, Kratos was the one who had helped him through his depression over my sister's death.

And then, one day, I received news from Kvar. He and his men had trapped the couple in the Iselia forest, and had managed to capture Kratos. Sadly, he reported, Anna had fallen off of the cliff taking the Cruxis Crystal with her, as well as…their son. This news shocked me. I did not expect Kratos to like the woman that much. And yet, here was news that he had had a kid. I was wounded. He was acting like he liked those pathetic, separated twin worlds over the glory of Derris Kharlan. I knew then that Kratos Aurion had to pay the price for abandoning Mithos Yggdrasil.

Kratos was taken back to Derris Kharlan by Kvar and his men. Bloodied to a point of almost non-recognition, Kratos was thrown in an unceremonious heap in front of me. I forced his head up, and looked into his eyes. They were empty, devoid of any life. The spark that Yuan said had existed when he had been with Anna was gone, replaced by an eternal black void. I asked him why he had left, why he had taken Anna, why he had had a SON. He responded in a dead voice, a haunted one.

"_I…don't know…something…told me that I…should…"_

"_And what was that something?"_

"_I…don't know."_

"_Come now, Kratos. Don't play games with me. Tell me. Was it because…you wanted to see what life as a normal person was like?"_

"…"

"_Answer me."_

"_I…can't."_

"_And why not?"_

"_Something…prevents me."_

"_Ah. I see how it is. You want to protect her. Even though she's gone, you still want to protect her. What's the point in that? She was just another human. In case you haven't forgotten, Kratos, humans KILLED MY SISTER! And then…you…you have the NERVE TO GO MARRY ONE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE? YOU'VE BETRAYED EVERYONE! ME! MARTEL! HER MEMORY! DOESN'T THAT STAND FOR SOMETHING!" _

I slapped him. Hard. I couldn't hold myself back. A part of me wanted to stop, to take him into my arms and tell him that I knew what it was like to lose a loved one too, but the Yggdrasil part took over, told me that didn't I say that betrayal was the worst crime? Wasn't Kratos a betrayer? Hadn't he left me alone, when he had promised that he wouldn't? So I slapped him. I didn't stop. My voice rose in volume as my rage for the past three years let itself out. He fell back, did nothing to stop me, did nothing to resist. I hit him again and again. When I stopped, I looked down, breathing heavily. I felt…strangely calmer, although, my anger had not been sated. I ordered the guards to take Kratos and lock him up in one of the rooms. As they dragged him out, Kratos gave me a haunted sort of look. I haven't forgotten it. I don't know why, but his expression that day still gives me chills. It was…so unhappy. Pain-filled, sorrowful, all the horrible emotions that I had experienced when Martel died were etched into Kratos' face that day.

I went to go visit him later. He looked dreadful. That same haunted look only added to the stark gauntness of his once trim body. He sat there on the cold stone bench staring straight ahead, seemingly not breathing or anything. All he did was stare. He didn't move, not even when I called his name softly. He didn't say anything. He didn't DO anything. Those damn blank eyes kept looking straight ahead, locked in their unending gaze. As I left the room, the guard informed me that Kratos was not eating, was not drinking, was not even sleeping. He had been sitting in that same position since the beginning. It saddened me, to see my loyal seraph brought to this pitiful state all because of one damn human woman. If only…if only I could have protected him, then he wouldn't have to suffer so much. Surely Kratos knows that I just want to protect him, that I want to protect him from the outside. However, a small part of me tells me that all that I keep telling myself about Kratos is a lie.

_You don't want to protect Kratos; you want to make sure he doesn't leave you. _

_**You only want to protect yourself…**_

_End Part III_

A/N: Sort of twisted sappy Mithos there. Definitely twisted, maybe not so sappy. Also, for those of you who care, I ended the Mithos section with him telling himself that he only wanted to protect himself because I think that one of the reasons why Mithos reacted the way he did to Kratos and Anna was because of his loneliness. I mean, that's pretty much what governs his actions throughout the game- he's lonely. Poor Mithos… Anyways, hope you enjoyed Part III. Now, go review!


	4. Chapter 4: Kvar

And now…the long awaited chapter 4…Enjoy and review. Oh- one more thing- this is Pre-ToS.

_Part IV: Kvar_

Most people think that we Desians are barbaric, foul, creatures. I would care to differ. As one of the Five Desian Cardinals, I am sophisticated, brilliant, and most of all, ambitious. The ideal equation for power and wealth, I must say. Who wouldn't want to be me? So, of course, I take my job very seriously. Any opportunity to show my lord Yggdrasil that I am the superior being that I am I will take. That is how the Angelus Project came into being.

Yes, Lord Yggdrasil had long been looking for a way to cultivate the Cruxis Crystal on host beings and then transferring them. It was for his grand scheme of "The Age of The Half-Elves"- a very good plan, if I must say. So, in the coming Age of Half-Elves' honor, I decided to present my lord with the best gift ever- a Cruxis Crystal. I would of course be then in high favor with our leader, and hopefully then take over that old hag Pronyma's position as Leader of the Five Cardinals! Splendid! I lost no time in finding the ideal host body- there are only so many good humans in this pathetic world. And I found one- AO12, human name, Anna. She was perfect- her mana signature was strong, and she had that thing humans call spirit. As I said before, she was perfect. We began the experiment.

Time flew, and before I knew it, my underlings were reporting that the Crystal was nearing complete formation. I eagerly sent word to Lord Yggdrasil. He was pleased with my work, and announced that he would come to oversee the completion of the Cruxis Crystal. However, imagine my surprise when a red- haired human showed up at the doorstep, stating that there had been a change in plans and that he, Kratos Aurion, one of the Four Seraphim, would be overseeing the completion instead. Well, the man was human, so I could barely disguise my disgust. How had this pathetic inferior being managed to garner enough favor to be named one of the Four Seraphim? It was astounding, even mind- boggling! However, he seemed to not be lying, so I consented.

After a couple of days, I noticed something funny. The man, Aurion, was acting strangely, especially whenever AO12 was in the vicinity. He would stare at her for a while, brown eyes softening slightly. I dismissed this behavior as nothing but perhaps a tidbit of pity for the girl. I was wrong. Later on the night before we were scheduled to remove the Cruxis Crystal, one of the guards came running towards me as I was heading back to my chambers. His face was bloody, and he was panting. He told me that Kratos Aurion had just left the ranch with AO12, Anna, in hand. Or rather, in grasp. I reacted immediately, telling the guard to send out search parties at once, while I informed Lord Yggdrasil. Those search parties never came back. I assume Kratos killed them, but then, they were of little consequence. There were always more Desian troops to take their place. What I couldn't afford to lose was the Cruxis Crystal and AO12. It was unacceptable. How had a mere human managed to outwit the smartest and most brilliant of the Cardinals? Again, I was at loss for words on the subject.

After about three years, my spies gave me a piece of information that almost brought tears of joy to my face. But of course that would never happen- I AM a half-elf after all, and crying because of a pathetic piece of information was MOST human in definition. Heh…my lord Yggdrasil…you can not possibly imagine the amount of pleasure that was coursing through my body as I told you, told everyone that we had finally discovered Kratos' location, that we could now hunt him to the best of our extent. And this time, I was not rejected.

You agreed, my lord.

"_Go, Kvar, my faithful Cardinal. Bring me my lost seraph and the Cruxis Crystal here. I want Kratos ALIVE. Do not kill him…or there will be consequences. Do you understand?"_

"_Of course, Lord Yggdrasil."_

"_Good. You have your orders."_

"_My lord…what of AO12? Do you want her too along with Aurion, or do you want just the Cruxis Crystal?"_

"_Hmmm…I suppose it matters not, but I think Kratos would prefer to have her alive, if not for just a short while. Heh…yes, do try and bring her in alive. I need to see this girl that stole my Kratos from me…"_

"_I will make sure that I will not fail, Lord Yggdrasil."_

"_I am sure you will not, Kvar…"_

I appeared calm, as always, but inside, I was riding a wave of ecstasy. The thrill of the hunt has always lured me to it. Now, this was no regular animal or host hunt…

This was a manhunt- my favorite.

We cornered him finally, after so long, in the forests of Iselia. I had asked the Cardinal that ran the nearby ranch, Forcystus, for reinforcements. He agreed, but told me that he himself would not come out to join us. I was disappointed, but, all the more glory when I brought a humbled Aurion before my lord- I would be rewarded beyond my dreams.

He fought us, the girl behind him, cowering in the background, clutching a bundle in her arms, a huge green-and-white monster standing by her. He fought well, but I had already anticipated the seraph's abilities. I had already mapped his strengths. A battle does not begin in the fighting.

It begins in the mind.

I had figured out Aurion's weakness; I had found his vulnerability-

Anna. AO12.

I sent some of my men around the other way. They caught AO12 unawares as she watched her husband defend her. And, just like I had thought, the fighting abruptly stopped. Aurion froze. He stared at me with growing horror. Oh, I always LOVE the emotions of a human as they face fear. They react so beautifully. I had my guards bring Anna to me. She tried to fight, but my men were too strong for her. Heh…pathetic humans…always trying to delay fate. Aurion's eyes widened-and then narrowed sharply.

"_Kvar…what the hell are you doing!"_

"_Now, now, Kratos. Watch your language. I am doing nothing. All I am doing is following orders. Orders to find YOU. Surely you must know how much Lord Yggdrasil misses you. He has asked me to…'retrieve' you, if you will. Now, submit to my commands, or face your wife's death."_

"_If you haven't noticed, he's a higher rank than you." _Anna's cold voice swept through. She gave a grim smile as she tried futilely to escape her capturers' grasp.

"_Let me go now you creep!"_

"_Ah…AO12…spirited as always. Heh…and I see that you still have my Cruxis Crystal! Excellent. Now, let's retrieve what is rightfully mine." _I moved to remove the Crystal on her hand.

"_NO!" _Kratos leapt forwards, and then was stopped by the crossed swords of two of my men at his neck. He stood there, seething._  
_

"_Ah, come now Kratos…I am only doing what's best for you. Surely a person of HIGHER rank than I would know better than to fall in love with an inferior being. But- ah! - I forgot- you're an inferior being as well. It figures. I always did wonder how you were in such high favor with Lord Yggdrasil. I still am wondering."_

"_LET HER GO! SHE'S NOT INVOLVED IN THIS, KVAR!"_

"_Oh really? Now Kratos, the whole reason why I am here is BECAUSE of Anna." _

"_I DON'T CARE! JUST…JUST…KEEP HER OUT OF THIS!"_

I remember taunting him some more…Kratos knocking my guards out of the way, running towards me, flaming sword gleaming as he ran towards me, oblivious to his many wounds which were dripping red down onto the forest floor. I remember sneering…and then…

Digging my hand into AO12's flesh and ripping the Cruxis Crystal out. It gleamed in my hand, blue perfection. I watched as her mana went out of control, Kratos stopping in horror. My laughing. A monstrous green-flecked arm knocking me against a tree and sending the Cruxis Crystal flying out of my hand. The collision knocked me out. When I came to, my men reported all that had come to pass- Kratos killing Anna, her plunge over the edge with the bundle and the weird dog-like creature. Kratos had gone after them a short while after. We followed, and found him standing alone in a clearing. He stared bleakly ahead, not moving. When my men surrounded him, he did nothing. Just stared. And then, he let out an un-human scream of pain and fury.

"_YOU…YOU…YOU BASTARDS!"_

He lunged one last time, slicing, hacking, not caring about what happened to him. I suppose losing both his wife and apparently his child was what was driving him over the edge. Many a Desian lay on the forest floor that day. Carnage everywhere. Kratos attacking in blind rage. Finally, I summoned the most of my magic…and cast Thunder Blade. The magic was enough to send him flying, crashing into one of the trees that I had previously hit. He fell limply, sliding down the trunk.

After that, I sent him back to Derris Kharlan. Mithos praised me. I glowed with pride. I, not that fool Pronyma, had managed to capture one of the great Four Seraphim…and survived. However, my joy was short-lived.

My Cruxis Crystal was still missing. And I want it now. I will do whatever it takes to find it. Even if it means going on another hunt…but…that's perfectly acceptable.

Because this wolf is ready for another hunt.

_End Part IV_

A/N: Another twisted POV- Kvar. The guy's such an annoying butt head. I hate him. However, it's easy to imagine the self-satisfied smirk he always seems to have on his face in ToS. And yes, I know Kratos was a little OOC in the end...but hey! The guy just had to kill his wife!

AND NOW, A REQUEST FROM THE AUTHORESS: Hey, my readers! Part V is coming up (right after I update my other fic), and I'm out of people! I'm taking suggestions for who to write later- and don't say Lloyd! I'm saving him for last, so little foreshadow there. Just tell me in your review, and who knows? I might just decide to write it!


	5. Chapter 5: Martel

Well, all the votes are in. Thank you all for your suggestions- the race was VERY close. Also, sorry for taking so long to update- I just got back from a 5-day vacation in Phoenix. Anyways, now to reveal the winner of Part V:

_Part V: Martel_

I see all. I hear all. Locked inside of the Kharlan Tree, I watch over all of those who reside in the twin worlds. I cry. My tears fall unseen throughout the worlds.

These tears…are they not for you, little brother? Can you not see the pain that shows on my face every time you stray further, further away from the dream we shared? No- you only see yourself. You only see me smiling on you, watching you as you commit horrendous crimes in my name. I want to right all of your wrongs, return the worlds to their original state, and tell you my real dream- the one that does not involve ending the lives of all beings and plunging them into darkness.

But there is one wrong I want you to fix most of all, little brother.

I want you to restore your bonds with your friends. I want to see Yuan and Kratos trusting you again. I want Yuan to stop plotting against you. I know why he does it. He can't bear to see you go through with this, all in the name of his beloved. He sees my pain, but he cannot stop you. Because he knows only I can. And Kratos…

Kratos…

When will you be free? Free from that façade that my brother has trapped you in? You freeze your emotions; sweep away your humanity; all because you think you have nothing left to live for. I watched you, watched as you sat there, in that room. You stared forward, not moving, not talking, not _living_. I wanted you to be happy, wanted you to stop being the icicle and become the fire that I know you are. I cringed when Mithos struck you, told you that because a human had killed me, you could not love one. I ask you, please forgive my brother for me- he doesn't know what he's saying. And please forgive me…I…I can't stop my brother from doing this. He is on a one-way path. He thinks that because one human killed me, then that means all humans killed me. Please…don't let him ingrain this into you as well. I saw how happy you were with Anna.

I was watching you the whole time.

I watched you save her, actually open up to her. I was surprised. You, of all people, would open up to Anna more than you would for my brother. But, then, perhaps the fact is not that surprising. Love is such a funny thing- Yuan and I know that firsthand. I guess it was time for you to find out about the thing called love, Kratos. You, who lived by the sword, were trying to live by your heart. It surprised me, but then, I still have a lot to see and learn, despite my brother's claims that I am the eternal, omnipotent goddess.

Anna…you are such a lucky person. Kratos rarely opens up to anyone. Even while we were on the journey to end the Ancient War 4,000 years ago, he rarely talked, rarely shared anything personal. He didn't even express any positive emotions, like happiness or joy or anything like that. He forced himself to become stone to everyone he met. He did this…even to his best friends.

"_Kratos, what do you think…about love?"_

"_Why do you need to know, Martel?"_

"_Well, because I need your advice on it. You see, I think…I think I'm in love with Yuan, but I can't seem to get my feelings straight. Well, I obviously can't ask Mithos can I? So, I decided to ask you, seeing as you probably do have some experience in the matter, right?"_

"_I'm sorry, Martel, but the answers you seek are not known to me."_

"_What? You mean…you've never really thought about love?"_

"_No."_

"_Why not?"_

"_I never needed to."_

"_But, I mean, you have at least loved someone, right?"_

"_No."_

"_Not even someone like…your parents?"_

"_I never knew them."_

"_Oh. Sorry. But still, you've never fallen in love with anyone? Not even a teensy crush?"_

"_No."_

"_Sure?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Kratos, Kratos, Kratos…why are you so emotionless all the time? Why not…relax and enjoy life for once?"_

"_I am a warrior at heart. Emotions are things that…can distract easily. They cloud the judgment and influence one's logic."_

"_So…you always act like a rock because you want your head to be clear at all times?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Oh." There was a faint mumble from Martel._

"_Martel- what did you just say?"_

"_Hm? Oh…uh…I just said that it's a shame, because for a minute there I had you out of monosyllabic answers and into complete sentences."_

"_Hmph." _

But you have seen the real him. You have seen through his shell and into his heart. Even for a short while, I am glad that you managed to drag Kratos Aurion out into the open. I hoped that my brother would let it go, would let you two be, but he has gotten more and more possessive ever since I died and became one with the Giant Kharlan Tree. I hope that even though you are gone, Kratos will not forget you. No- I will NOT allow him to forget you. You are his love, and not even my selfish little brother will be able to destroy that. Your love will endure. Your love will pull Kratos through, even when he thinks his life has been destroyed. I can tell. You two share so much still, even your death, Anna. Watch over him for me, will you? Kratos needs someone to be near him, even if that someone is deceased. Keep him sane until he meets the one person that will change his views once again just like you did- his son. Yes, your son lives. And he will embark on a journey that will send him straight towards his father. Oh, he won't know it then, but I am sure that he will find out somehow.

As for me, I will remain here, intertwined with the Giant Kharlan Tree for all eternity. I will always be there, watching over all of you as Fate drags you along, just as I have done for the past 4,000 years. I know my death still weighs heavily on your minds, but please you three- don't stay like this forever. Move on with your lives- you know I would have wanted you to even though I wouldn't be there in person to watch you.

And yes, my dear Yuan. If I had not died, the world would have been utterly changed. The situation you find yourself in would be so much different. I wish I could go back and change the past, but even the Goddess cannot defeat the ravages of Time and Fate. So let it be. There is no need to linger on what could have, would have, and might have happened.

Let go of the past and embrace the future. And know that Martel will always be looking down upon you.

_End Part V_

A/N: Not really Martel focusing on just Kratos and Anna. I mean, she would never have. Also, it is really hard to write Kranna from her centric. Sorry if this chapter is a little disappointing, but Martel is SUPER hard, and my brain is fried from Spring Break. Now go review and tell me what you think! By the way- Part VI is Dirk, as he was tied with Martel in the polls. Expect that one to be short.


	6. Chapter 6: Dirk

Alright, here we go with Part VI! I've already announced that this is going Dirk's thoughts, so there's no surprise this time. Have fun, and enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, or else I'd be a millionaire.**

_Part VI: Dirk_

Now, see here, some things about humans are just plain detestable. I just can't stand the fact that some of 'em hafta always be on the top all the time, 'specially those fellers that're used to doin' so. They've all got it in their heads that since THEY'VE been on top since eternity, then it should stay that way. Hate to break reality to ya, fellers, but most people won't stand for that sort of thing. Me, I can't take it either. So I tried raisin' Lloyd, my adopted son, 'zactly the opposite of those high an' mighty idiots. He's turned out pretty well, but I'm a little worried that when he finds out 'bout the truth behind his mom's death, the kid'll go over the hill.

I mean, you can't really ignore the fact.

I found his mom pretty much dead in the forest just off of my house. The animals and the like were getting' pretty riled up, with them flyin' off all the time an' everything like that. Figured something was wrong, so I grabbed that big hammer that I use for all my blacksmith work sittin' by the door and ran out. Well, I didn't see anything amiss in the forest until I got to that huge clearing, right off of the outskirts of Iselia.

The first thing I noticed that was definitely NOT supposed to be there was all the blood stains. Place looked like some sorta massacre came through an' forgot to clean up. Yup, blood everywhere. On the trees, on the ground, thrown onto the cliff face, and straight smack in the center, would you believe this, a funny lookin' creature fighting off some sort of creature. Looked like an over-sized dog with funny lookin' floppy green ears. It was whinin' and pawin' straight to give itself a fit. And the more I stood there, the more I realized that that funny lookin' creature was protectin' somethin'. Well, the dog, or whatever it was, was definitely not winning its fight against the native monsters of the forest, so I decided to help the poor thing out. Smashed that gel blob to bits with a nice stroke of me hammer and that was all. Scared the rest off and went straight for that creature. Well, he thought I was goin' for whatever it was that he was protectin', because he put up one heck of a fight. Wouldn't let me near until I pulled out that extra piece of biscuit that I had in my pocket. Even then, he was sorta hesitant. Well, I managed to convince him to let me see whatever it was that he was guarding after a few quiet words and a nice pat on the nose. What I saw next is probably goin' to stay in my head for all time.

It was this woman that creature was guardin'. And she was pretty beat up. And I mean pretty. Got this big slash right across her chest, with blood leakin' out like a leaky pump. She was sorta just lyin' there, gaspin'. Didn't see me 'till I knelt down right next to her. She was clutchin' this bundle to her, pretty tightly too

_**Flashback**_

"_Who…are…you…? Please…don't…Desians…help…Kratos…"_

"_Whoa, there missy. Save your breath. Name's Dirk. I'm a dwarf that lives right about yonder." Dirk waved his hand in the direction of his house._

_The woman painfully smiled. "Nice…to…meet you…Dirk…thought…you…were…Desian…"_

"_Eh…nice to meet you too, I guess. So Desians did this, huh?"_

_There was a sound of boots crunching through the foliage. The woman turned her head slightly._

"_Oh…no…not them…Desians…" Dirk noticed that a look of fear was now showing plainly on her face. She turned her head back to Dirk._

"_Dirk…would…you…do me…a favor…?_

"_Well, I guess. What is it?"_

"_Please…take care…of…my son…" Dirk didn't have time to protest before she pushed the bundle towards him. He picked it up and looked under the blanket. Underneath was a baby boy, peacefully sleeping and completely unaware of the danger he was in._

_The woman smiled. "His…father…will…probably be…around…to…pick him…up…soon …take…care…of…him…until then…please…? Tell…him…Anna…said…goodbye…"_

"_Sure will." _

"_Thank…you…bye…Lloyd…Daddy will…take…care…of…you…and…Noishe…good….b-" Anna's head lolled back limply as her eyes fluttered closed. Dirk looked down at the boy, who was now stirring._

"_Well, kid, let's get you and your mommy back to my place." He turned to pick up Anna's body only to find that the strange dog (or Noishe or whatever it was) had done the deed for him. Nodding, the dwarf began walking back to his house, leaving behind a pool of blood._

_**End Flashback**_

Yup, pretty sad. And pretty easy to see why I can't tell Lloyd a word about the REAL deal behind his mom's death. What I've done about the situation is just tell him all the facts except for the one that Desians were the ones that killed his mom. Especially since there's those Desians right near us. And if he gets himself killed, then I'm breakin' my promise to Anna, which I can't do, seein' as his daddy hasn't shown up yet. Wonder if his daddy's ever going to show up…Ah, well, it doesn't matter. Lloyd is family, and family he'll stay, even if his father does come for him. Don't worry, Lloyd. I'll always be there for you. After all, with a trouble-maker like you for a son, I think you're going to need all the help you can get.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: Incredibly short, I know, but dwarves aren't exactly the most loquacious of beings, so yeah. Also, Dirk didn't really know much about Kratos and Anna other than the fact that Kratos was supposed to come and get Lloyd, and the fact that Anna was killed by Desians. Hope you enjoyed! REVIEW! Oh, and one more thing- I know there is some atrocious spelling and grammar stuff in this one, but it's to make Dirk sound less like a wordy freak of nature (aka the authoress). Needless to say, I sort of overdid it.


	7. Chapter 7: Lloyd Irving

This is the final chapter of Thoughts on a Forbidden Romance. Wow. I never really saw me ever finishing a story, but this is the one that's going to be completed first. I know a lot of you are disappointed, but I feel that there aren't anymore people to write about except for the finale. Maybe someday I'll come back and write another chapter, but right now, this is the last one.

Thank you to all my reviewers. Your reviews and comments were greatly appreciated.

**Disclaimer: Well, I certainly can't have owned ToS if I've gotten this far and not made a single cent now, huh?**

And now, the final chapter…

_Part VII: LLOYD IRVING_

I always wanted to know who my real father was. I mean, I had Dirk, but, I sort of knew all the time that he wasn't my real father. Whenever I asked Dad about it, he always told me,

"_I don't know, Lloyd. I know just 'bout much as ya do. There's nuthin' more I can tell ya."_

I always imagined him to be a grand hero- someone I could be proud of. But deep inside, I always knew that something wasn't right about that dad, because, if he was such a hero, then why would he leave Mom? Why would he leave me here? Why wouldn't he come? Dirk told me a long time ago that he promised my mom that he'd raise me until my real father came to get me. I waited for a long time. I remember sitting outside on the balcony outside my room when I was younger, hoping, dreaming, that somehow, a man would come striding out of the forest and give me a smile and say,

"_Here I am son. I'm here for you. Everything's going to be OK Lloyd Irving."_

But it never happened.

As I got older, I realized that that was never going to happen- that my father was not coming for me. So Dirk became my father. We are as close as father to son, even though I'm human, and he's a dwarf. I definitely wouldn't be the same person if it wasn't for Dirk. But somehow, I was always missing something. It was like there was this gap that I just couldn't seem to fill, no matter how close Dirk and I were.

So I went on the journey of regeneration with Colette, and I learned a whole bunch of stuff about how my mom was part of this Angelus Project or whatever, and how my dad killed her from Kvar, that slick bastard. He told me the truth, but he didn't tell me the whole truth. Well, the fact that my dad had killed my mom sort of pissed me off a LOT back then. Here I was, thinking my dad could've been a hero, and then reality slammed the door on THAT dream. A part of me still said that it could be real, that my father COULD be some hero, but just like when I used to wait for him to come, that hope died.

So I kept going on this journey, which sort of changed into this other thing- breaking the mana links between the two worlds. And nothing involving my father came up. Until finally, one night…I…

I found him.

It wasn't like I expected. There was no smiling man, no heartwarming lines. In fact, Yuan had only used me to bait my father.

My father, Kratos Aurion.

It was like a shock wave hit me. There was so much…so much in my head that I don't even remember what I was thinking then. All I know is that there was Kratos, and that he had betrayed us, and that he was standing right here, and that Yuan had just said that…that he was…

And that was like the end of the world for me. It's hard finding out that your father is the guy who's been with you all along on this journey, the guy that YOU thought was annoying, a show-off, a hired sword just trying to prove his superiority. It's even harder when you know that your dad betrayed you, that your dad almost killed you, that your dad is working for the enemy.

And that's why I couldn't believe him at first. And then it all sank.

My dad HAD been a hero- a fallen hero who had saved the world 4,000 years ago and then had become one of the main people behind the deception of the world- one of the leaders of Cruxis.

My dad HADN'T abandoned Mom or me- he had frozen, caught between protecting his family and his fear of losing us.

My dad hadn't come for me, well, because he hadn't even known I had existed until the journey of regeneration.

I didn't want to believe it, but I guess, like always, there's a part of me that tells me otherwise. He saved me that night. I know if I mentioned it to him, he'd probably look indifferent and claim that it was nothing really- it was him being stupid because I could have easily dodged it. Or else he would say something like,

"_I'm sure you would have done the same, Lloyd. It's nothing big."_

But for me, it's big. Because it told me that he cared for me, even though I was rejecting him.

And I know that he could have easily won our fight at Origin's seal. We fought him before, and he was hard even with FOUR people. I know he just couldn't bring himself to win, to see his son lying in the dust, because he'd feel guilty about it, like he was hurting my mom.

And I know now that he really did love my mom, that he really did miss me. He tried so hard to save Mom that he almost killed himself. He's tried so hard to live up to my mom's memory, to help me, his son. And he did help me. Without him, we would have never been able to know how to cure Colette's disease, or have all the materials to forge the Eternal Ring. Kratos…you may not think it, but I think you've redeemed yourself. I'm sure Mom would think so. You've done so much good; you just need to see it instead of denying it. I mean, think about it…

You, Mom, and Me

That's our family. It's not like that now, but it'll stay like that in my memory, in my heart. I could even add Dirk in there, oh, and maybe Noishe. And Colette, if we ever get married. (Now wouldn't that be a shocker, huh?)

So Dad, don't worry. I'll make sure that I won't die before you do. I'll find you somewhere, out there in space. I'll even use the Eternal Sword if I have to. And I vow that one day, we'll be a family once again. Just me, you, Dirk, Noishe, Colette, Professor, Genis, and all our friends.

Because that's what we are- one big happy family.

_Fin_

Final Authoress' Note: Well, it's finally over. Thank you again to all the reviewers and such. This was a really fun story to write, and I hope you have enjoyed all of it. Remember, now is the time to review! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! I might just be tempted to do some more Kranna sometime…

-Lady Nephenee Ranulf


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